Amagasa, Otake keep OPBF, Japanese belts

By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Boxing Beat

Elongated Japanese, WBC#11/IBF#8/WBO#11 Hisashi Amagasa (26-4-2, 16 KOs), 125.75, retained his OPBF featherweight belt as he floored top contender Vinvin Rufino (34-16-3, 16 KOs), a southpaw Filipino, twice in the third round and finally halted him with a flurry of punches to prompt the referee’s intervention at 0:46 of the eighth session on Monday in Tokyo, Japan. For Amagasa, it was his initial defense since he dethroned Retsuri Lee in a hard-fought battle last October. Amagasa, a head taller than the challenger, didn’t utilize his advantageous reach and height but mixed it up with the shorter hard-hitting lefty. Rufino showed his recovery in rounds five and six, but Amagasa displayed a fierce retaliation en route to a stoppage.

In a supporting ten, Japanese super-bantam champ, IBF#3/WBO#15 Hidenori Otake (22-1-3, 9 KOs), 121.75, had a tough time but successfully kept his belt by a close but unanimous verdict (96-95, 96-94, 97-93) over mandatory challenger and grudge rival Takafumi Nakajima (22-7-1, 9 KOs), 121.75, over ten. Otake, making his fourth defense, repeated his triumph over Nakajima despite his shaky start in the rematch.
Promoter: Kyoei Promotions.